Side bearing



A. B. SEVERN v "2,124,958

SIDE BEARING July 26, 1938.

Filed Oct. 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

- WIT/W355 v ATTORNEYS.

A. B. SEVERN 2,124,958

SIDE BEARING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 July 26, 19 38.

4 ATTORNEYS? v WITNESSES W4. Wm.

' bent into the form of the housings.

Patented July 26, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SIDE BEARING Application October 9, 1935, Serial No. 44,177

4 Claims.

This invention relates to roller side bearings for railway cars.

In the past it has been the customary practice to make the roller housings for these bearings from either cast or forged material, or from rolled material, that is, specially rolled shapes, which require the use of rolls of special contours. The cast housings in addition to being heavy are subject to the inherent well-known weaknesses of cast articles. While the rolled housings as heretofore made have been found satisfactory from the standpoint of durability and Weight, they have been found rather expensive to manufacture and place on the market. This is due to the fact that it has been necessary to employ a large number of different shaped rolls to produce the different sizes and shapes required which of course involves a large tool investment. In addition they have involved quite a large number of time-consuming and cost-adding operations to make them. First the plates from which the channels are made are produced by rolling. Next the plates formed by rolling are reduced to channels and these channels then Furthermore, it has often been the practice to attach a roller-supporting bearing plate to the base of the housing by rivets and to provide holes through the base beyond the ends of the plate for the reception of bolts by which the bearing is connected to the truck bolster. This requires two sets of holes and two sets of fastening members.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a housing for these bearings which is made directly from ordinary flat plates by a simple inexpensive operation.

This and various other objects as well as the various other novel features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a complete bearing of the type contemplated showing the housing constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a side view thereof; Fig. 3 is an end view of the bearing; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of apparatus for forming the bearing housing of this invention; and Fig. 5 is an end view thereof, partly in section, taken on lines V-V of Fig. 4.

Referring to the first three figures of the drawings, a roller side bearing is shown which comprises a channel-like housing I having therein a bearing plate 2 for supporting a roller 3 which projects above the upper edge of the housing. In accordance with the invention this housing is preferably formed from a flat rectangular plate of rolled steel, such as is produced on any ordinary rolling mill, and is made by bending it by means of dies into the shape shown. Referring to Fig. 3, the base 6 of the housing is preferably made somewhat wider than the roller and curved gradually at its two sides from the edges thereof to a point somewhat below the center of the roller where its side walls 1 are extended upwardly in parallel relation with each other. An advantage of this form of base is that it lends stability to the bearing in that it provides for effectively resisting the housing against tilting.

On the base of the housing a bearing plate 2 is provided to form a Wearing surface for the cylindrical-shaped anti-friction roller 3 which is loosely disposed for rolling longitudinally of the housing when the car body bolster (not shown) frictionally engages the top of the roller and moves horizontally relative to the truck bolster on which the bearing is mounted. As shown in Fig. 2, the bearing plate is preferably concave lengthwise to cause the roller to return by gravity to the center of the housing every time the upper bolster rises out of engagement with the roller. To prevent the roller from escaping at the ends of the housing the side wall portions 1 are turned inwardly at right angles to form abutments or end walls 8 disposed to engage and limit the movement of the roller.

Another feature of the invention is that the bearing plate 2 is adapted to be attached to the base of the housing by the same rivets or the like which are used to connect the bearing to the truck bolster. That is, the plate 2 is provided near its ends with openings 9 which are adapted to register with and receive the rivets connecting the base of the housing to the truck bolster. As will be noted in the drawings these openings are preferably arranged below the end walls 8 of the housing and beyond the ends of the path of movement of the roller, as shown by a broken line in Fig. 2, so that the heads of bolts in the openings can not interfere with the movement of the roller. This manner of connecting the plate to the housing does away with riveting them together, and saves the time and material formerly involved in that operation.

A roller side bearing formed in accordance with this invention has the advantages of strength and durability characteristic of rolled elements, without being costly or complicated in construction.

One form of apparatus especially adapted for forming the housings of the side bearings described herein is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. Mounted on a suitable support is a die block H which is provided in its upper surface with a rectangular depression l2 for receiving a rectangular fiat rolled plate, indicated by broken lines in Fig. 5, and centering it on the block. The central portion of this depression is provided with an elongate opening M extending downwardly into the middle of the block Where lateral openings 16 through the block open into it. Reciprocable vertically in opening I4 is a die ll adapted to bend a fiat plate into channel shape, as also shown in broken lines in Fig. 5, by

forcing the plate down through the opening theside walls of which are curved to facilitate bending the plate upwardly on both sides of the die to form parallel flanges. The channel thus formed is carried downwardly by the die and forced against the interior of the block in a recess l8 where the web 6 of the channel is properly shaped and hardened by the pressure of the die thereon.

The lower portion of die I! is as wide and long as the inside of the channel web, but its sides and ends taper upwardly to the dies reduced upper portion the opposite sides of which are parallel. The lower portion of the die is formed from two members l9 slidably dovetailed to the opposite sides of a key 2| by which they are connected to the upper portion of the die. These members and the key are tapered longitudinally so that they are held securely but detachably together by a wedge fit.

Reciprocable horizontally in each lateral opening l6 of the block is a die 22 having a contour suitable for bending the channel flanges inwardly against the sides'of the reduced upper portion of center die I l to form upright side walls I having inclined lower portions integrally connecting them with the base of the channel. During this operation the center die serves as a backing-up die for the side dies the ends of which are turned inwardly for bending the ends of housing walls 1 at right angles against the ends of the center die to form end walls 8.

The three dies are reciprocated by any suitable means, preferably by hydraulic cylinders 23. The lateral dies may be operated simultaneously or in succession, as desired.

After a side bearing housing has been formed in this manner and lateral dies 22 have been retracted, it is necessary to disconnect lower members IQ of die I! from key 2| before the die can be raised to free the housing. This is done by sliding members l9 lengthwise of the key to disconnect them therefrom, the ends of the die block being provided with openings 24 through which members I9 and the completed housing may be removed.

The housing-forming apparatus disclosed herein is simple and dependable in operation. It is likewise rapid because it forms a housing complete during a single cycle of operation.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle and mode of operation of my invention and have illustrated and described What I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A side bearing for railway cars, comprising a one-piece housing formed of a plain flat rolled metal plate bent to form a base and roller-retaining side and end walls, the upper portions of said side walls being offset inwardly from the sides of said base, and a formed metal plate mounted on said base of the housing and provided in its upper face with a roller-guiding depression.

2. A side bearing housing for railway cars, comprising a one-piece housing formed of a flat rolled metal plate bent to form a base and side and end walls, said side walls being disposed with their upper portions substantially parallel and spaced inwardly from the sides of the base and with their lower portions extending outwardly to the sides of said base.

3. A side bearing housing for railway cars, comprising a one-piece housing formed of a flat rolled metal plate bent to form a base and side walls, the side walls having their upper portions substantially parallel and spaced inwardly from the sides of the base and with their lower portions inclined outwardly and downwardly to the sides of said base, the ends of said parallel wall portions being turned inwardly to provide end walls.

4. A side bearing for railway cars, comprising a one-piece housing formed of a flat rolled metal plate bent to form a base and side walls, said side walls being disposed with their upper portions substantially parallel and offset inwardly from the sides of the base and with their lower portions inclined outwardly and downwardly to the sides of said base, the ends of said parallel wall portions being turned inwardly to provide end walls, and a bearing plate mounted on said base, said plate and base being provided below said end walls with registering openings for the reception of fastening members for connecting the plate and housing to a support, and a roller loosely mounted on said plate for movement longitudinally of the housing.

ARTHUR B. SEVERN. 

